Practising yoga connects us to the breath. It also brings our attention to the parts of the body that allow us to exhale and inhale fully. As you tune in to your body more and more, you may start to notice all the ways your breath can vary. It can be quiet or noisy, heavy or soft. It can be relaxing or energising, and it can even make you feel tense.

Yoga can help improve breathing patterns and good breathing patterns can improve the quality of your yoga practice, but there are numerous wellbeing benefits beyond this too. Since breathing happens automatically, it’s easy to forget it’s a valuable tool you can use to manage stress and improve your mood. When you feel hemmed in, closed off or overwhelmed, your breath is one of the most profound ways to reclaim a feeling of spaciousness.